For much of the Cold War, Afghanistan had been under the Soviet sphere of influence. In the 1980s, the growing strength of the rebel Mujahideen led to direct Soviet invasion and a decade-long conflict. At this time, the United States deemed Islamic fundamentalism to be a much less serious threat than the spread of communism and so provided financial and military assistance to the guerrilla forces fighting against the Soviet Union.

The "Axis of Evil" was a term created by the government of George W. Bush to try and provide support for American military involvement in Iraq and other countries. Iran, Iraq, and North Korea were identified as "evil" countries that sponsored terrorism and were trying to pursue the ownership of nuclear weapons.

During and immediately after the Gulf War, the Kurdish people (along with a loose coalition of other groups) rebelled against the forces of Saddam Hussein and the Sunni-led government. Although they achieved many initial victories, the government reprisal was swift and brutal. Chemical weapons were used, and mass genocide was encouraged. Almost two million Kurds fled Iraq during this time period.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was one of the last conflicts of the Cold War. The United States funded the Mujahadeen resistance fighters who were resisting Soviet occupation. This decision would have long-lasting consequences for the United States, as the weapons were used against the country in later conflicts.

Saddam Hussein was a Sunni Muslim in a country (Iraq) where the population distribution of Shia and Sunni Muslims is roughly even. Sectarian differences between Sunni and Shia have been the cause of much conflict in the Middle East for hundreds of years and are especially relevant today.

In 1990, tensions between Iraq and Kuwait had reached their highest point in history. The Iraqi government lamented the loss of revenue to Iraq as a result of the extensive oil reserves in Kuwait. So, Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi government invaded and occupied the country of Kuwait in what is known as the Iraq-Kuwait War. This led to widespread condemnation from the international community and, eventually, to a United States-led invasion and liberation of Kuwait in what is now known as the first Gulf War.

The Gulf War between an international coalition led by the United States and Iraq was fought in 1990 and 1991. The American President at the time was George Bush Sr. 

Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm were the two major "operations" undertaken by the coalition forces against Iraq during the Gulf War. Operation Desert Storm was intended to retake Kuwait and remove Iraqi forces from the country, and Operation Desert Shield was meant to protect Saudi Arabia from Iraqi invasion.

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait took place over two days in August of 1990. The Iraqi army quickly overran their counterparts in Kuwait and the government of Saddam Hussein announced that Kuwait had been annexed by Iraq. The aggressive action was universally condemned by the world powers, including Russia, France, China, and India, and shortly thereafter, the United States issued an ultimatum that Iraq withdraw from Kuwait or face war. The Gulf War between the United States-led coalition and Iraq followed.

The Iran-Iraq War was fought between the Shia government of Iran, led by Ayotollah Khomeni and the Sunni government of Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein. The war was essentially fought over Iraqi government fears that the Shia popular rebellion of Iran would spread to Iraq.